Separating apparatus and method



Feb. 28,

1961 A. s. LUNDY SEPARATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed Sept. 2, 1958 255 .2 l fi 25* I I 1 /Z4 I r 29 27 3 g l\ I l (3/'\ a II. hill I HIM a. .32- L9 ll/jg A TTO/PNE V5.

2,973,094 SEPARATING APPARATUS AND METHOD Alvin S. Lundy, Bloomfield Hills, Mich., assignor to Claude B. Schneible (30., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 758,515

5 Claims. (Cl. 209-144) This invention relates to a separating apparatus and method, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus effective for recovering particles from a gaseous medium in which they are carried or suspended. The invention also has utility in classifying particles, both of a liquid and solid nature.

It is a general object of this invention to provide a novel separating apparatus and method which afford a high degree of separation between a gas and particulate matter. Another object is to provide this by a more effective use of increased centrifugal and multiple dynamic forces acting on the particles. Still another object is to provide novel separating apparatus employing a plurality of refuser wheels, resulting in high separation or classification efficiency. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as this specification proceeds.

The invention will be described in conjunction with an illustrative embodiment in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view, partially in section, of an apparatus embodying teachings of this invention; and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the apparatus taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the illustration given, the numeral designates generally a plural-chambered casing. Casing 10, as shown, provides chambers 11 and 11a, each of which is equipped with a rotatably-mounted refuser wheel 12 and 12a, respectively. In the description given hereinafter, like numerals will be employed for corresponding elements in each chamber but with the elements in the lefthand chamber, as seen in Fig. 2, also being designated by an a. The casing 10 is equipped with a gas inlet 13 and a gas outlet 14, the flow of gas being designated by arrows in Fig. 2. Each chamber, 11 and 11a, is equipped with a particle outlet, 15 and 15a, respectively.

Casing 10 is formed by a pair of spaced-apart, parallel end walls 16 and 17 which define, respectively, opposite end walls of chambers 11 and 11a, as can be readily seen from Fig. 2. End walls 16 and 17 are united to form casing 10 by side walls 13 and 19. Casing 10 is generally box-like in shape except at the top and bottom thereof. The top portion of casing 10 is essentially hemicylindrical in nature, as can be appreciated from Fig. 1, and is achieved by having the side walls 18 and 19 curve upwardly and inwardly in a generally arcuate nature as at 20 in Fig. l. The end walls 16 and 17, at their upper ends, are equipped with a circular outline to provide the hemi-cylindrical ends of the upper portion of casing 19. Casing 10 is divided into chambers 11 and 11a by a central plate 21, which is rigidly attached to and extends between side walls 18 and 19. Depending from casing 10 are a pair of hopper-shaped elements 22 and 22a associated with chambers 11'and 11a, respectively. Plate 21 is provided with a conduit 23 therein which permits gas entering casing 10 as at 13 to flow therethrough and issue from outlet 14. Conduit 23 transfers gas from chamber 11 to chamber 11a and also provides a seal at wheel 12 to insure fiow of gas from outside to inside of wheel, as indicated by arrow. Conduit 23 is seen to be smaller than refuser wheel 12 and thus aids in maintaining gas velocity during the transition from chamber 11 to chamber 11a.

Casing 16 is equipped with an inlet box 24 which communicates with inlet 13, inlet 13 being generally arcuate or a segment of an annulus in periphery, as can be best seen in Fig. 1. An outlet box 25 is provided on wall 17 of casing 10 and communicates with outlet pipe 14, which is axially aligned with conduit 23 and provides a seal at wheel 12a.

Casing 10 is equipped with a pair of pedestals 26 which are mounted, respectively, on wall 16 and outlet box 25. Pedestals 26 carry bearings 27 which rotatably support a shaft 28 adapted to be driven through a pulley 29. Refuser wheels 12 and 12a are fixed to shaft 28 and, rotate therewith. Each refuser wheel 12 and 12a, is

equipped at one end with a solid plate as at 30 and 30a,

while at the other end it is axially apertured to permit issuance of gas into the adjacent outlet, 23 or 14, as the case may be. Thus, gas entering casing 10 through inlet box 24 and gas inlet 13 flows around the endplate'30 of refuser wheel 12, then radially inwardly of refuser wheel 12 through vanes 31 and thence out of chamber 11 through outlet opening 23 and into chamber 11a. Conduit 23, being round, maintains the spinning of the gas as set up by the manner of introducing the gas into chamber 11 and by therotating wheel 12 so that the gas is spinning as it enters chamber 11a. In chamber 11a, gas flows around the endplate 30a and then radially inwardly of refuser wheel 12a past vanes 31a and out of gas outlet 14 and outlet box 25. Suitable for use in the apparatus of this invention is the refuser wheel shown in C. B. Schneible Patent No. 2,507,461, and reference may be had to that patent for details of the wheel construotion not given herein. Exit opening 25a may be offset from center, as shown in Fig. l, to utilize some of the energy of the rotating gas to reduce pressure drop through the unit.

Mounted within chambers 11 and 11a are separator plates 32 and 32a,-respectively, which, as can be seen from a consideration of Fig. 2, are generally arcuately formed in a downward fashion. The plates 32 terminate a spaced distance short of the side walls 18 and 19 to provide slots or spaces 33 and 34, respectively.

Preferably the slot or space 34 is slightly smaller than the slot or space 33, and the shaft 28 is offset laterally ofthe vertical center line of casing 10 in a direction toward slot 34, as can be seen in Fig. l. In-this fashion, the refuserwheels and the slots cooperate to efiectively peel off the outer edge of the rotating gas annuli in the two chambers and bring about a superior separation of particulate matter from the gas stream.

In the illustration given, wheel 12 is of smaller diame ter than wheel 12a, and thereby develops a lesser centrifugal force on the particles in the gaseous medium flowing through chamber 10. The gaseous medium which enters refuser wheel 12 has larger particles rejected therefrom which are collected in the hopper 22. The gaseous medium then enters Wheel 1211, where finer particles are rejected and collected in the hopper 22a associated with chamber 11a.

It is to be appreciated that if a greater classification of particles is desired, additional chambers and wheels may be provided. The wheels are so arranged as to provide successively greater centrifugal forces 0n the gaseous medium and the particles which it carries. If desired,-this may be achieved by having the wheels on separateshafts and driven individually. The particles separated by the consecutive action of refuser wheels 12 and12a canbe conveniently removed from particle outlets-15 and 15a through the operation of dribble gates 35 angl-35af It is desirable that there be a minimum flow of gas through the discharge gates or valves 15 and'15a, Exgess flow may affect the settling and "skimming action of'the Patented F eb. 28, 1961.

2,973,094. v p a separator plates 32 and 32a. Separator plate 32 is positionecl immediately below gas inlet 13. The position of separator plate 32a dependson the desired classification of particles and may be as shown, or above or below separator plate 32. The plates 32 and 32a are attached at their ends to plate or wall 21 and to walls 16 and 17, respectively.

In the operation of the apparatus, it is; to be understoo that a fan or other gas-moving device (not shown) is employed. It may be either on the inlet or outlet side of the collector. Preferably, the fan or other gas-moving device should be on the outlet side to minimize abrasion thereof by the dust or other particles entering the casing 10.

The gas enters tangential to the housing through the inlet opening 13. The first separator plate 32, which is preferably solid, directs the gas stream as it enters the chamber 11 and permits separation of a small portion of the gas stream containing the bulk of larger particles from the main gas stream. As the amount of gas diverted is quite small, gas currents in the lower portion of cham ber 11 (i.e., below separator plate 32) are kept to a minimum. In addition, the separator plate 32 materially decreases the power requirement for refuser wheel 11.

' With the refuser wheel 11 rotating in the fashion indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the edge portions of the gas annulus set up by the cooperation of the refuser wheel 12 and casing are directed toward space 34. The heaviest particles will be found in the outer edge of the annulus and in reaching space 34 will be skimmed oil for deposit in the lower portion of chamber ll. Gas leaving the chamber 11 then passes into chamber Ha, where it is subjected to even greater centrifugal and dynamic forces tending to separate the smaller particles therefrom. For optimum performance, I have found that Slot 33 should be about 10% larger than slot 34. This size difference, in combination with the offsetting of the refuser wheels axis, aids in developing a compressed outer layer in the rotating gas annulus, which brings about superior particle separation.

While, in the foregoing specification, an embodiment of the invention has been set forth in considerable detail for the purpose of illustration, it will be understood that such details may be varied widely by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

' I claim:

1. In apparatus for the separation, classifying or the like, of particles from a gaseous medium, at least two chambers in side-by-side relation, each of said chambers having a cylindrically-shaped upper portion provided by a pair of curved side walls and vertically-extending end walls, each of said chambers having a hopper-shaped lower portion, an outlet in one end wall of each chambet and an inlet in the other end wall of each chamber,

the outlet of one chamber communicating with the inlet of the other chamber, a refuser wheel mounted in each chamber with its outlet in alignment with the outlet of said chamber, a downwardly arcuate separator plate in each chamber extending between said end walls below the refuser wheel therein and cooperating with the cylindrically-shaped upper portion to provide a cylindrical casing for said wheel, said plate terminating short of said side walls and providing with the side walls of said chamber the refuser wheel first contactedby said medium having a lower peripheral velocity than the other wheel whereby said wheels provide a stepwise increase in the centrifugal force acting on particles in said medium as it .passes 2; The structure of claim which fora given rotathrough said chambers by increasing the rate of rotation of said medium.

tion of each refuser wheel, only one end of the separator plate associated therewith is effective to shear a portion of a rotating gas annulus provided by said rotation whereby the passage adjacent said one end serves as a gas inlet to the hopper associated with said wheel and separator plate the passage providing a gas inlet for the hopper por tion of each chamber is smaller than the passage providing a gas outlet therefor.

3. In apparatus for separating particles from a gaseous medium, a generally vertically-disposed casing having an inlet in onevertical side and an outlet in the opposite vertical side, 'said casing defining a plurality of longitudinally spaced communicating chambers therein, with each chamber equipped with a particle outlet at the bottom thereof, a refuser wheel rotatably mounted in each of said chambers, the refuser wheel in the cham ber adjacent the casing inlet being smaller in diameter than the'refuser wheel in the chamber adjacent the casing outlet, each chamber being equipped with a downwardly arcuate separator plate provided below the casing inlet and cooperating with the wheel in said chamber to provide an annular space therebetween, each of said plates extending between the chamber walls transverse of the wheel axis and terminating a spaced distance from the walls of said casing parallel to said wheel axis to provide constricted gas passages therewith, said plates being horizontallyaligned, for a given rotation of each refuser wheel only one end of the separator piate associated therewith being effective to shear a portion of a rotating gas annulus provided by said rotation whereby the constricted passage adjacent said one end serves as a gas inlet to the hopper associated with said separator plate, the constricted passage providing a gas inlet for the bottom in .each chamber being smaller than the constricted passage providing a gas outlet therefor.

4. The structure of claim 3 in which the said gas inletpassage is narrower than the said gas outlet passage.

5. In apparatus for the selection of particles from a gas, a generally rectangular casing having a pair of vertically-extending end walls and a pair of verticallyextending side walls, the top of said casing being generally cylindrical with the axis thereof normal to said end walls, an intermediate wall in said casing parallel to said end walls providing two compartments in said casing, an aperturein said intermediate wall communicating said compartments, each compartment having a hopper atits bottom, a downwardly arcuate separator plate in each compartment positioned below said aperture and being generally concentric therewith, each of said separator plates extending from the compartment end wall to the said intermediate end wall but terminating short of said side walls to define therewith a slot on each side of said aperture, said slots providing the only communication in each compartment between the hopper and the upper portions, shaft means in said com partments normal to said end walls, a refuse-r wheel for each compartment on said shaft means, means for rotating said refuser wheels, one of said end walls being equipped with a segmental annular inlet positioned above the adjacent separator plate, the other end wall being equipped with an outlet aligned with said aperture, the

'refuser wheel adjacent the inlet being of smaller diameter than the refuser wheel adjacent the outlet, said slots being effective to separate an annular layer of gas from the body of gas rotated by said wheels and direct said layer through said hopper to deposit particles therein. References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,608 Watson et a1. July 29, 1884 709,527 Theisen Sept. 23, 1902 r 815,674 Bent Mar. 20, 1906 1,415,294- Baldwin Mar. 9, 1922 2,213,881 'Lauer Sept. 3, 1940 2,361,758 Flique Oct. 31, 1944 

